Hi. New to the forum.....just bought an 85 tercel auto push button 4x4..it was basically 1 owner when I got it just rolled it to 87000 miles. Oh and its blue haha. Totally exhausted everything I know about it lol. Seems to run ok though it can be hard to start sometimes and sure can't get in a hurry driving it.
Would slowly like to fix it up maybe mod it a little bit. Main things I have noticed I have no defrost...all the air comes out of the front vents and behind the glove box. Mice have chewed the coolant reservoir so need to replace that soon. Also would like to get so all weather treaded tires what's on them now are a little slick.
Not sure how to add pictures tells me the ones on my phone are to large
check your heater valve is opening, it is on engine side of the firewall in front of the passenger. sometimes they stick, or the cable comes off the mount. There are also cables that open and close the various doors/flaps in the heater ducts that sometimes get disconnected, or the plastic lever gets broken (if that is the case just wire it into the "on" position so it directs warm air to the ducts).
If necessary you might have to remove the heater hoses and flush out the heater core. let is soak in vinegar for an hour and flush it out. Removes the scale and build up. If really bad you need to use a pulse gun to break all the scale free and flush it out. I did that with mine recently and never had such nice warm air out of my Tercel heater, about time after 370k miles.
i would fix the coolant reservoir asap. running with low coolant is a dangerous game.
if you find it hard to start, make sure you are using the correct procedure. remember that since it is carbureted, you need to press the gas pedal once or twice and keep your foot off of it when you turn the key. this sets the choke to the correct position. it should start easily after that, then idle high for a few minutes until it warms up. once the engine is warm, you don't always need to give it gas before starting but this depends on how long it sits between running. you'll figure that out in time.
once the engine is at normal temp (just under half way on the gauge) does the air coming out of the vents feel hot or at least warm? if not, that's going to be part of the defrost problem. petros mentioned a way to clean the heater core, if that's the case.
Sorry haven't been back on in a while. After driving it a whole it now starts easy except on the real cold mornings I have to try a couple times. Seems like the thermostat is sticking so bought a new one today to put on.
Where can I get a coolant reservoir? Napa was no help lol and the only junk yard around here did not have anything that was close enough to work
Today when I opened the hatch back the hinge on the right started spewing fluid out at my.....Guess that means it went bad lol...made me jump at 6 am.
What size tires do u recommend running on it? It has the 13 inch rims the front tires are one size the back tires are another and there isn't a door placard that says anything.
Hoping by summer I can get it repainted and what little body work done it needs
Twister wrote:Sorry haven't been back on in a while. After driving it a whole it now starts easy except on the real cold mornings I have to try a couple times. Seems like the thermostat is sticking so bought a new one today to put on.
Where can I get a coolant reservoir? Napa was no help lol and the only junk yard around here did not have anything that was close enough to work
Today when I opened the hatch back the hinge on the right started spewing fluid out at my.....Guess that means it went bad lol...made me jump at 6 am.
What size tires do u recommend running on it? It has the 13 inch rims the front tires are one size the back tires are another and there isn't a door placard that says anything.
Hoping by summer I can get it repainted and what little body work done it needs
what makes you think the thermostat is sticking? does it overheat, or never heat up?
if no wreckers near you have a coolant reservoir, best bet will be to buy one off of someone here.
do you mean the hatch strut burst? hinges don't contain any fluid. i've never heard of a strut blowing like that but who knows. you can still get brand new hatch struts, and for pretty cheap i think.
the info placard should be in the glove box. stock tire size is 155/80r13 or 175/70r13. people run all kinds of different sizes though so it's just a matter of personal taste. if you find some 14" or even 15" wheels, they open up a lot more options for sizes.
If you try 4WD and have differently-sized tires F and R, you are asking for trouble.
Check out the FAQ section in the General Forum.
Tom M.
T4WD augury?
"Oh, do not ask, 'What is it?' Let us go and make our visit." T.S. Eliot - "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"
"Now and then we had a hope that, if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates." Mark Twain
If you are going with the stock wheels than 175/70x13 are fine, but the stock steel wheels are noticably flexible. It really improves the handling and steering responce to go with alloy wheels, or even better go with 14" alloy wheels and 185/60 x 14 tires (as I recall). That should give you about the same rolling dia, and greatly stiffen the wheel/tire combo. It will steer better, and stop better.
Personally I would not waste any money on 13 inch tires on it, find some decent used alloy wheels on craig's list or the wrecking yard and get a lower profile tire. you will be pleased with the results. There is a list of cars on an alloy wheel thread that uses the same 100mm x4 bolt pattern (Honda, BMW, VW and a lot of others).
Totally exhausted everything I know about it lol. Seems to run ok though it can be hard to start sometimes and sure can't get in a hurry driving it. 
